SANTA CLARA, Calif. - On the first day of the Santa Clara Tournament, the Golden Eagles played their first conference game of the season. The first GCC match was against Santa Clara at 12 pm and was followed by a late match against Marist College at 5 pm. The Golden Eagles headed into the tournament with an overall record of 2-6 after their matches in Claremont. 

In the match against Santa Clara, Tessa Tavaglione started off the tournament with the first CUI goal. Many attempts were made by both teams, but with two minutes remaining in the first, Tamsyn Evezard and Melinna Galbraith added two impressive goals to the board.  

Santa Clara came out of the gates in the second period, winning the sprint and coming up with goals of their own. Melinna Galbraith was the only Golden Eagle to score during the period. Thanks to multiple saves by Jaden Soto, the Green and the Gold maintained the lead, making it CUI 4 – SCU 3.  

Santa Clara may have won the third sprint, but Allyson Corbett perfectly set up Tamsyn Evezard for another Concordia goal. And Abby Mammen scored back-to-back goals at the two-minute mark assisted by Sofia Dominguez and Lily Ensley. Despite Concordia's effort, the Broncos managed to close the gap in the fourth period. By the end, Tess Henke won the sprint and scored the last CUI goal of the match. The final score was CUI 8 – SCU 9. 

The Golden Eagles faced the Marist Foxes in the second match of the day. Offensively, Tamsyn Evezard led CUI with four goals followed by Sofia Smith with 2 goals and 3 assists. The Golden Eagles and the Foxes were neck and neck until the third period. Marist College widened the gap to 13-8. The Golden Eagles effectively slowed down the opponent's offense, making the final score CUI 9 – Marist 15.

The Golden Eagles are on the hunt for a win! Next up in the Santa Clara Tournament are the matches against Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay on Saturday, Feb. 17. 

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